I spent four years of my life in Japan as a university student.

But unlike many of my foreigner friends, I chose not to stay there and work, and came back to my home country, Singapore, almost immediately after my graduation.

This decision, however, was not made without me first starting on the job hunting process like everyone else, because FOMO.

Also, why not? Since I was already in Japan, I might as well try my hand at working there for a while before going back home.

Job hunting in Japan

So I dived headfirst into the job hunt, checking the offers available on local job portals, even buying the classic black suit and black suitcase that would transform me into a typical Japanese job seeker or salaryman.

The job-hunting process, or shuukatsu, is something that university students in Japan start as soon as they are in their third year.

Why this particular window and not, say, after graduation?

From what I have heard and observed, most Japanese companies would rather hire university students who are still in school, as compared to those who have already graduated.

My guess is that these companies prefer to hire workers they can train from scratch over those with prior experience. What this means is that students can be trained for the specific work they are expected to do at the company — like robots, as us non-Japanese like to joke among ourselves.

And based on what I know about Japanese corporate culture, I believe Japanese firms also prefer to hire workers without a "gap" in their resumes — in this case, this is defined as not working after graduating.

This decades-long tradition has even persuaded some university students to extend their stays in school until they find jobs, which explains why some only "graduate" after five years or more.

Handwriting my resume? Nah.

I started my shuukatsu kind of reluctantly — I was, after all, forcing myself to go through what everyone else was doing.

But the process for me was even shorter-lived than I expected it to be. I gave up before even completing my first resume, let alone making it to any face-to-face interview.

And while I do understand this makes me sound a bit flaky, hear me out.

For one thing, in Japan, resumes are typically handwritten — yes, you read that right. Handwritten.

Japanese companies' recruiting departments prepare blank forms with standard job interview questions all printed out nicely for candidates to fill out — and if you make a mistake doing that, you will have to start all over again on a brand new copy.

And no, you can’t strike out your error or use correction liquid or tape to mask it.

And in my case, I made a mistake while writing out my resume. To make matters worse, it was on my very last sentence.

While I can’t remember the specifics, it was probably something along the lines of me hoping to become the kakehashi (connecting bridge) between Singapore and Japan by working at that particular company — something that almost all foreigners hoping to work in Japan would write.

I asked myself, is this the kind of culture I can accept?

While handwritten resumes might not be such a big deal, it was certainly enough to make me seriously rethink my interest in working in Japan.

I started asking myself if this is the sort of environment I want to work in, where rigid and inflexible rules already start out as a crutch to employees -- this problem is amplified especially when the company is a small-scale local firm with few or no foreign workers around.

To a certain extent, I experienced that myself too when I working part-time as a student in Japan. And after considering what I already knew about Japanese culture by then, I figured that perhaps I’m not cut out to work in the Japanese corporate world after all.

Don’t get me wrong. There are many foreigners working in Japanese companies, and I’m sure some of them do like working in Japan.

They would also be the first to vouch for the necessity of rules and sticking close to them as after all, the structure is there for a reason.

Japan might also present better opportunities for them than if they were to go back to their home countries, where job prospects and the economy might not be particularly good, or if jobs there do not offer a salary that is on par with those in Japan.

"You can work anywhere else in the world if you can survive Japan"

But I’ve heard enough complaints from my foreigner friends working in Japan to know there are some very apparent downsides.

Drinking sessions integral to career progression

Many of them are expected to go for informal drinking parties after work with their colleagues to improve their working relationship.

Can’t drink? No can do.

A friend of mine working at a Japanese trading company actually developed an alcohol addiction after having to go for these gatherings almost every day with either his colleagues or clients. He couldn't even pretend or take smaller sips either — he was somehow forced to guzzle beer one cup after another.

And what if you refuse to go? Be prepared to be branded as an antisocial person, or see your colleague who entered the company the same time as you get promoted quicker.

Fewer opportunities for foreigners

Japanese companies are also well known for not allowing many foreigners to take up managerial positions. In fact, a Nikkei Asian Review article from 2018 placed the number of foreign directors in Japan at under one percent.

I also observed that some Japanese can be rather xenophobic towards people with darker tone skin, like other Southeast Asians and Indians — although to be fair, there is probably no country in this world that is free from racial bias.

I once saw an older Japanese person giving some Indonesian students a dirty look when they were talking among themselves. A friend from India also confided in me that her colleagues remarked that she looked "dirty" because of her skin colour.

Mental breakdowns not uncommon

Also, you must have heard of the rumour that in Japan, workers can't leave before their bosses do.

While I can't say this is true for all Japanese companies, at many traditional Japanese firms, I observed the culture is such that it is better to be seen working (staying behind and working long hours), rather than actually getting work done but leaving on time.

This, inevitably, results in overwork in many workers.

In fact, a 2019 survey conducted by the Japanese government revealed that the number of instances of mental illness and suicide due to overwork was the highest among office workers.

A friend of mine was diagnosed with mild depression from work stress (it mainly stemmed from her relationship with her direct supervisor) and had to take a two-month break off work (her pay was reduced by half during this time).

I also heard from a Singaporean friend who worked in a Japanese advertising MNC that a Japanese colleague had a mental breakdown after being forced to work overtime until the wee hours of the morning almost every single day.

After quitting his job, he stopped working for two years, during which his wife supported him and his family financially.

So yes, Japanese corporate culture can be pretty harsh, so much so that there’s a saying that goes, “If you’re able to survive working in Japan, you’re able to work anywhere else in the world”.

I doubt I'll be happy as a salaryman

To me, if you

• are a sucker for rules,
• like to work in an environment where structure and consistency are prized above everything else,
• like to be micromanaged right down to the time you enter the office and leave for lunch,
• don’t mind apologising even though it’s not your fault, and
• don’t mind concealing your individuality in order to ‘blend in’ with the people around you,

Japan is a great country for you to work and live in.

Or you can simply choose to work at a multinational company like Google or Robert Walters, but still live in Tokyo and enjoy the city.

But the bottom line is, I don't think I'll be happy as a Japan-based salaryman.

Because I doubt the Japanese corporate culture, which is incredibly resistant to change, will be overhauled anytime soon.

But Japan taught me things I wouldn't have known if I stayed in Singapore

Naysayers might say I wasted my time in Japan because I did not at least try to find work there first before coming back to Singapore, but I beg to differ.

Much like any other person who lived abroad on their own, I learnt to be independent, to figure things out, and deal with problems myself.

While there exists various communities and friends to help you from time to time, you are mostly pretty much on your own.

Because ultimately, as with life in general, no one is going to be responsible for you other than yourself.

I also brought home with me a personal philosophy: Don't try to take control of something that isn't within my control.

And of course, I made a bunch of good friends who I am still in contact with.

Despite our different nationalities, we stuck with one another mostly because we shared the same values, and had similar educational backgrounds.

Japan is great, but it boils down to what you prefer

All in all, Japan was great.

Tough work culture notwithstanding, the locals I met treated me with a kindness that I will never forget.

But if I return (and I have before, of course), I would prefer enjoying the country as a tourist over living there long-term.

Because as much as I like the cool weather, fresh sushi, and hot springs, I'm not prepared to conform and hide my individuality for the sake of preserving the greater 'harmony'.

I would much rather live in a place where people aren’t that concerned with how others perceive them.

So, when it comes down to it, did I have negative experiences studying and living in Japan? Yes.

And would I have had a better time elsewhere? Hmm, perhaps.

But do I regret it? Absolutely not.

Top image by Kayla Wong

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